Oil spill cost up to $140 million for federal government

The U.S. government has spent about $140 million on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, federal officials said Friday. 

Federal authorities will continue "pouring in assets" to pay for containment and cleanup of the oil spill that is affecting four coastal states, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters Friday. 

The Coast Guard and other federal agencies are helping out BP in an effort to get a handle on stopping the flow of oil from the well after the BP-leased rig blew up and sank April 20, and cleaning up the ocean waters as oil makes its way across the Gulf. 

So far, BP has spent nearly $1.5 billion on the spill and given three states — Alabama, Florida and Mississippi — another $25 million each on Thursday to combat the widespread effects of the disaster.